Blessed Junipero Serra
Founder of the California Missions

Blessed Junipero Serra -
The long dusty, desolate road to California!

When Serra arrived at his new post, the
40,000 Indians reported by the Jesuits were now a mere 8,000. Serra,
who loved the Indians dearly, described them as a handsome people. But
sadly, the huts were so poor and conditions so deplorable, 1000 Indians
were dying each year, and the death rate of infants 100%. It is
believed that Indian women were purposely aborting their babies rather
than have them starve to death. Disease finished off those Indians who
did not die of starvation. Father Palóu prophesied, if conditions
remained as they were, Baja would be left without a single soul. Father
Serra's year here, which had begun with so much enthusiasm, ended with
disappointment. At first, not in keeping with the other missions in
Mexico, the missionaries were to have a say in only the spiritual
aspects of the missions. When the newly appointed inspector general saw
the impossible conditions, he most willingly handed over all the
responsibility to Father Serra and the missionaries. No sooner did
Serra begin to work on change, than he was summoned to engage in the
evangelization of what was called then Alta California (or
California).

In 1769, when Friar Junípero had been
transferred to Baja or lower California, although man thought it
was for him to run the fifteen missions seized from the Jesuits, God had
another idea. Father Serra was informed, barely one year after having
arrived in Baja that he was to pioneer the settlement of missions in
Alta or upper California.

On July 1, 1769, he arrived in San Diego,
and on July 2nd, he celebrated the first Mass in what is now known as
the famous California Missions. He was 56 and the biggest challenge of
his life faced him, all that he had received in education, all the
spiritual preparations he had made, the austerities he had practiced
most of his life would be for this one act, this his last gift to the
Lord and His Mother. California would be consecrated, every hill,
valley, mountain, village, every street would be blessed.

I shall not turn back!

It took Father Serra almost twenty years,
from the time he was first summoned to come to the New World and serve
in the missions, before he got to his first California Mission in San
Diego, in what is today the State of California. Those twenty years
prior to arriving at San Diego were at times a painful prelude, filled
with joy and sorrows, readying him for his biggest challenge, setting up
missions a day's walk apart up the coast of California. The missionary
who worked furtively his last years on earth was tired and more dead
than alive. When one of his companions begged him to stop, his legs so
badly swollen and in pain that he could not celebrate Mass standing,
Father Serra refused saying,

"Please do not speak of that, for I
trust that if God will give me the strength to reach San Diego, as He
has given me the strength to come this far, I shall not turn back. They
can bury me wherever they wish and I shall gladly be left among the
pagans, if it be the Will of God."

It had taken him almost three months to
reach San Diego from Baja California. Half dead, most of the time, he
never turned back!

December 26, 1770, Father Serra performed
his first baptism in California. In addition to San Diego and San
Carlos del Carmel, Father Serra went on to found San Antonio de Padua in
July, 1771; San Gabriel in September, 1771; San Luis Obispo in
September, 1772; San Francisco in October, 1776; San Juan Capistrano in
January, 1777; and San Buenaventura in March 1782.

Viewer Comments: Dear Bob and
Penny:I love
your show! You are so informed on all of the wonderful people, who have
served Our Lord through the ages. They all defended the Faith, and served
with their lives for the love of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
They are truly God’s superheroes.
The pilgrimages that you have taken and have shown on your programs have
inspired me to want to go on pilgrimages. Someday, I would love to go to
Mexico to visit Our Lady of Guadalupe. I have seen copy of the tilma of
Juan Diego, at a local church here in California. It was truly beautiful.
Living in California, I have visited some of the California Missions. I
consider that a sort of pilgrimage as well. I do hope they make Bl.
Junipera Serra a Saint soon. And thank you for clearing up the story that
the Franciscan Friars did not force the Chumash Indians into Christianity.
That was something I had heard about for so long. I just did not want to
believe that falsehood.
Anyway, thank you again for your wonderful programs, and keep up the great
work.
God Bless you both,C. K.
CA

Visit the California
Missions, the legacy of Blessed
Junipero Serra, apostle of California.
Learn of his great love for the Missions and the Natives
of the new world. Walk through his
early priesthood in Mallorca, Spain, to the missions of Mexico, and then to the Missions of California.
Come with us to the Mission Santa Barbara,then on to San Juan Capistrano,
where we meet some of the natives from that area and speak to the people at
that shrine.Finally,
we visit his Shrine at Carmel Mission, where he is
buried, and his his cell and
tomb are open for the public to venerate him there. Learn why he is called the Apostle of California,
and of the California Missions.

Bl.
Junipero SerraHis last
ounce of blood shed for the Church, he loved and brought to the Native
Americans, he died as he lived, praying for those he was leaving behind.St.
Frances (Mother) CabriniPope Leo
XIII told her. "Your mission will be in America to help the Italians
and make your country loved." Mother Cabrini said, "Yes!"St.
Paschal BaylonProclaimed
by Pope Leo XIII Patron of Eucharistic Congresses,
he was never ordained a Priest.St.
Leopold MandicAlthough
he would be considered imperfect today (barely 4' 6") this Saint of
Reconciliation brought about consolation and hope to thousands.St.
DominicWatchdog
of God - He fought the Albigensianist heresy - Our
Lady gave him the Rosary with the mandate to spread it to all her
children.St.
Angela Merici I
want to become a Saint, because I love Jesus. She had visions of Heaven,
of Jesus, as well as the devil. She battled the Protestant Revolt with
education.St.
Elizabeth Ann SetonA faithful
daughter - a loving wife and mother - an obedient Nun - a lover of the
Eucharist and Mother Mary - a role model for todayBl.
FredericThanks
to him, Our Lady of the Cap Shrine became the meeting ground for every
kind of physical and moral distress. The sick found healing; sinners were
filled with remorse.Code BJS
224 pages
Many Photos ISBN 1-58002-132-8
$13.95

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